Like Poland in the 1930s, Are We Due for Chastisement?

By Dr. Robert Stackpole, STD (Apr 4, 2012)A couple named Colleen and Paul sent me an excellent question recently that should give us all pause to ponder our own situation here in North America. They wrote:

Hello Dr. Robert,
Saint Faustina in her Diary more than once says she is praying for her beloved Poland and in one instance I think our Lord was sending retribution. She never says what the sins are that are precipitating Poland's punishment. We of course were wondering if they are the same ones of our country?

The passage that Colleen and Paul are referring to is Diary entry 39, which reads as follows:

One day Jesus told me that He would cause a chastisement to fall upon the most beautiful city in our country. This chastisement would be that with which God had punished Sodom and Gomorrah. I saw the great wrath of God and a shudder pierced my heart. I prayed in silence. After a moment Jesus said to me, My child, unite yourself closely to Me during the Sacrifice and offer My Blood and My Wounds to My Father in expiation for the sins of that city. Repeat this without interruption throughout the entire Holy Mass. Do this for seven days. On the seventh day I saw Jesus in a bright cloud and began to beg Him to look upon the city and upon our whole country. Jesus looked [down] graciously. When I saw the kindness of Jesus, I began to beg His blessing. Immediately Jesus said, For your sake I bless the entire country. And He made a big sign of the cross over our country. Seeing the goodness of God, a great joy filled my soul.

The Diary does not tell us which city in Poland that St. Faustina was referring to when she wrote that a "chastisement" would fall on "the most beautiful city in our country," but it is not hard to guess, for several reasons.

First, the capital city, Warsaw, had been filled with architectural splendors in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

Second, Blessed Fr. Michael Sopocko tells us in his own recollections that he questioned Sr. Faustina further about this matter. You can find a good summary of the subject in Rick Torretto's book, A Divine Mercy Resource (pp. 78-79). In that book he provides for us some important quotes. For example, Fr. Sopocko tells us in his Summarium (p. 95, no. 251):

She [Sr. Faustina] wrote in her diary that Jesus Himself said that He was about to destroy one of the most beautiful cities of our country like Sodom was destroyed on account of the crimes perpetrated there [Diary, entry 39]. Having read about these things in the Diary I asked her what does the prophecy mean? She answered confirming what she wrote and replying to a further question of mine, on account of what kind of sins God was going to inflict these punishments. She answered: especially for the killing of infants not yet born, the most grievous crime of all.

This special concern for the killing of unborn children fits with what St. Faustina wrote about mysterious bodily pains she experienced, which no medicines could relieve, and which she offered up to heaven, "in order to offer reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers" ( Diary, entry 1276).

Father Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, the vice-postulator of the cause for the canonization of St. Faustina, filled in the rest of the picture in an article he wrote in 1995, based on his extensive research:

Her confessor [Fr. Sopocko] later discovered that, between the First and Second World Wars, the city of Warsaw, which as the capital of Poland, was also one of the great capitals of abortion in the world! While Sister Faustina lived and prayed, that city was spared. But hardly a year after her death, Poland was invaded, and by the time the war was over, Warsaw was almost completely destroyed [much like Sodom and Gomorrah!].

In other words, as the prophecy in Diary entry 39 stated, the merciful Lord prevented destruction from falling upon the city, despite the terrible crimes committed against unborn children there day after day, in response to the earnest prayers and intercessions of St. Faustina. No doubt our Savior is just as deeply grieved that another land that He has blessed in so many ways — namely, America — also has one of the most permissive (i.e., tolerant of killing) abortion laws in the world, and approximately 1.5 million children are put to death in their mother's wombs in this land every year. God is so merciful that He will not remove His protection from this country as long as pure and sincere souls plead to Him for forgiveness and forbearance, on the basis of the sorrowful passion of His Son. In Diary entry 474, St. Faustina makes it clear that the devout recitation of the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy can stay the hand of divine justice, and gain yet more time for repentance and putting an end to such horrible injustices against the innocent. Jesus said to her:

I do not want to punish aching mankind, I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. (Diary, 1588)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has called abortion an "intrinsic evil" in our society, the ending of which ought to be among the highest priorities for Catholics today. Approximately 25 percent of Americans are churchgoing Catholics, yet the most recent polls show that only 5 percent of Americans today look upon the protection of the lives of unborn children as the most important issue in the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. Something is deeply wrong here. We Catholics need to wake up — and what happened in St. Faustina's time can be a "cautionary tale" in this regard. God is not going to let this kind of indifference to the "slaughter of the innocents" going on in our midst carry on indefinitely. If we want America to continue to be blessed and to be a beacon of freedom and human rights for the world, then we each need to do our part to help protect the human rights of "the least of these my brethren" (Mt 25:46) in our midst.

It was only through prayer and fasting by Catholics and others of faith that we obtained a miracle and defeated the godless Clinton machine. But we must keep up the prayer and continue the fasting that God will continue having mercy on us so that our country will have more time to return to Him and more can come to know the Lord of Mercy.

Dr. Bern - Aug 24, 2016

I have just listened to a talk in our parish in Ireland given by a husband and wife couple from Texas on the Divine Mercy Devotions along with the story of St. Faustina with which I am familiar.
We in Ireland in the Pro-Life movement are very concerned with the recent moves to completely abolish all protection for the unborn by repealing the eighth amendment which guarantees equal rights to life of mother and baby. We are greatly disturbed by internet comments that George Soros is investing substantial funds in Ireland to pro-abortion organisations in order to influence this decision.
In conversation with family and friends there is a growing consensus that this type of irrational evil is becoming more evident in the world at present in all ways - the actions of isis - the bombing of innocent men women and children in Syria - sporadic killings and shootings- earthquakes and general chaos. Recently we watched the ceremony of the opening of the Gotthard tunnel which appeared quite bizarre and strange. All these things are leaving a bad taste so to speak.
I recently spoke to anelderly ex-priest and nunfrom the USA who were married to each other and who were completely in favour of Hillary Clinton for President. I queried their views on the email scandals,Libya and her support of Planned Parenthood selling foetal parts and they dismissed all of that - I was astonished. Surely Hillary would be the worst scenario for President - certainly for the unborn child.
Of course it is said that evil is irrational and therefore we cannot explain it in any rational way. Following Hillary Clinton's comments as the election race progresses leaves one awestruck with her comments. I believe she is the greatest danger to the survival and stability of the USA. Any leader who believes in the free choice of destruction of the unborn as she appears to do can only lead a nation into destruction in itself. The centre cannot hold.
In that light I can see how the message of Divine Mercy is needed now more than ever.It really is a wake-up call.

Robert Stackpole - Apr 13, 2012

This just in from a reader:

I recently read your extremely insightful article concerning St Faustina and the chastisement of Poland in relation to the proliferation of abortion, comparing this situation with the modern American abortion culture. I have wrote extensively on topics very similar to this which I thought may be of interest to you, which can be found in my recently published book Unveiling the Apocalypse: Prophecy in Catholic Tradition, as well as a fairly detailed blog. In my book, I argue that one of the most remarkable Church approved Marian apparitions of modern times, those of Our Lady of Zeitoun in Egypt from 1968-1972, were directly connected to the legalisation of abortion in the Western world. The apparitions first began in April 1968 – the exact same month as the implementation of the UK Abortion Act – a law which opened the floodgates for the spread of Abortion to other European countries, culminating in Roe vs Wade in 1973. The symbolism of the appearances of Our Lady at Zeitoun is particularly striking, since this was a location traditionally associated with the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt to escape from King Herod’s slaughter of the innocents. By appearing in this location, it seems that Our Lady was attempting to communicate to humanity that it was about partake in a modern day “slaughter of the innocents”, in a manner which was highly evocative of the prophecy of the Woman Adorned with the Sun in the Apocalypse of St John:

Bea - Apr 9, 2012

I think all the economic problems in this country and world, is a chastisment. Also, all the crazy weather. Still people won't wake up! Look at all the garbage on TV and the way women dress. Even at Mass.

MARIA C. - Apr 5, 2012

Dear Dr. Stackpole,
It is definitely true that our society nowadays does not have the moral value. FAMILY is the basic unit of society and if they only follow the GOD AND HIS 10 COMMANDMENTS ESPECIALLY THE FIRST ONE...believe in HIM, FAITH...LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF , HAVE RESPECT TO HUMAN DIGNITY...THAT IS WHY I AM VERY PROUD TO BE BORN AND RAISE CATHOLIC..I will never denounce my RELIGION...UNTIL I DIE...JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU, ST. FAUSTINA PRAY FOR US ALWAYS, BLESSED JOHN PAUL II, THE GREAT MERCY POPE, PRAY FOR US..POPE BENEDICT XVI,INTERCEDE FOR ALL OF US ESPECIALLY ALL THE BELIEVING CATHOLICS IN THE WORLD..PROTECT THEM AND BRING THEM HOME..BE HAVE TO BE CHRIST LIKE SO WE DON'T BE PERSUADED TO CHANGED OUR MORAL VALUES NO MATTER WHAT..DISCIPLINE INSTILLED IN A MORAL SOCIETY WITH CONSCIENCE WILL BE WORTH DYING FOR AND LIVING FOR...MIRACLES HAPPEN..AND OUR BLESSED MOTHER CAN HELP US..MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP, PRAY FOR US..HOLY SPIRIT THE PARACLETE, GUIDE US AND PROTECT US, WE NEED CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL OF OUR BAPTISMAL PROMISES. WE NEED TO RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST WITH A PURE HEART AND SOUL SO WE CAN BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD AND OUR BLESSED MOTHER MARY..MAMA MARY IS OUR PROTECTOR, CARING MOTHER...WE NEED TO RESPECT OUR PARENTS.THEY ARE OUR GUIDE...HERE ON EARTH....HEAVEN IS THERE IF WE KNOW HOW TO LIVE OUR LIFE AS CHRIST WANTS IT TO BE, HE SHOWN IT ALREADY, AND DIED FOR US ON THE CROSS. ABORTION IS ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL..PLEASE DO ADOPTION AND PRAYERS ALL THE TIME. FROM EXPERIENCE WITH PRAYERS, MIRACLES HAPPENS AND LOTS OF THEM..I AM A LIVING WITNESS TO THIS....I LOVE CHILDREN LIKE JESUS LOVES ALL OF US..CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE NO MATTER WHAT...BRING BACK MORALITY TO SOCIETY, LEARN FROM THE MISTAKE OF THE PAST..LIVE WITH THE PRESENT AND LET GOD'S WILL BE DONE ABOUT YOUR FUTURE, ONLY GOD KNOWS...BUT MIRACLES HAPPEN WITH THE POWER OF PRAYER, PRAY UNCEASINGLY AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED...SEE THE SAINTS, SOULS IN PURGATORY WHO REPENTED AND ARE STILL SUFFERING BUT WILL HAVE A KEY IN HEAVEN OR GATES OF HEAVEN WILL BE OPEN UNTO THEM, WE JUST NEED TO BE VIGILANT AND BELIEVED IN THE JESUS, THE DIVINE MERCY, MAY GOD'S WILL BE DONE, STOP KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE AND IF YOU DO DECIDE...YOU KNOW THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT......IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND OUR CREATOR..GOD WILL COME AS A JUDGE JUST BUT FIRST HE WILL BE A MERCIFUL SAVIOUR OFFERING HIS LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, AS LONG AS WE BELIEVE IN HIM. OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN...PATER NOSTER....HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE THE LORD IS WITH YOU.....MAGNIFICAT AND MEMORARE..THAT IS THE POWER OF THE HOLY ROSARY AND NOW THE CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY...PLEASE LISTEN AS YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT;S ON THE OTHER SIDE CALLED HELL, YOU WON;T LIKE IT ..SO SCARY...THANKS AND NO MERCY KILLING OR EUTHANASIA.WRONG WORD USING MERCY AS KILLING IS KILLING,,,,DO NOT KILL, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.,DON;T KILL THE UNBORN, PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU, IF YOU DO, I CAN;T HELP YOU ANYMORE NOR THE BLESSED MAMA MARY..SHE HAD DONE HER PART, DO YOURS....B E L I E V E ,,,,,,FAITH
LOVE
TRUST
DO THE WORKS OF MERCY
THIS IS THE DOCTRINE OF OUR CATHOLIC FAITH AND I AM PROUD TO PROFESS IT. AMEN

Jim - Apr 4, 2012

Dear Dr. Stockpole, indeed, the transgressions against the unborn is one of the most wicked offenses against God that mankind can allow to happen. Yet, today we continue to allow this to go on. If we couple this dreadful sin with all the capital sins being committed against the Holy name of Jesus, I sometimes have to wonder how much longer the stupidity of man will be tolerated by God. Often times I find myself praying for God's direct intercession for a badly need wakeup call to enlighten man to the grave sins that plague men and women in all nations of this world. When the sinfulness of man seems to intensify daily by the lawlessness of individual or groups and misguidance of government leaders and legal systerms, I can only find hope and resolution through God's direct hand. We are indeed traveling down that same road as Poland in the 1930's. I can only hope and pray that aching man will wake up and change direction in favor of serving and pleasing God rather than hurting and offending Him.